So You Want to Go to Paraguay?

Although Paraguay is usually regarded as a completely land locked county it comes as no surprise to discover that this country is considered to be one of the tourist paradises of South America. Although technically isolated from South America, Paraguay is one of the less populated countries within the southern continent. Although its population may be small the country is far from a place that can be easily ignored. The people in Paraguay are friendly, Spanish-speaking and extremely kind. They are ready to welcome you to their country, their town and often into their homes. When considering the nationality of the people here you will often find a selection of Spanish, Native Americans and Japanese all of which are friendly and coexist together in mutual respect and harmony. This isolated South American country has been successful in utilizing its natural resources to the fullest.

Paraguay’s capital city is Asuncion and it is situated above Rio Paraguay. The city holds most of the more interesting and “must see” places found in the country. Reminisce of the early colonial era the Casa Viola, Casa de Cultura Paraguaya, the Cathedral was built back the 19th century while the Casa de la Independencia which was built in the year 1772. Other equally impressive places to see in the country are Museo del Barro which is the modern art repository and the Azuncion Zoo.

You can enjoy budget shopping for souvenirs along Colon, Palma, Estrella and Pettirossi streets. You should have no problems finding gifts for those friends back in the United States. You can also discover many affordable eating places if you happen to be hungry while you are on one of your shop trips.

If you are a nature fan you can readily experience the wild side in the Chaco. This is an area with wide plains where you can discover many houses which contain a number of bird species such as parakeets, hyacinth macaws, the wood stork and the Chacoan peccary. Incidentally the peccary was previously considered endangered specie. You can also see the feared anacondas, caiman reptiles and some very large boa constrictors. Finally, the Central Circuit is not to be missed by any tourist who happens to be in the area. This is a simply a bus route which offers around 125 miles of interesting locations and scenery associated with the country and includes the well known Iguazu Falls.